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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22670296">Those Who Stray Close</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanadianSummer/pseuds/CanadianSummer'>CanadianSummer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Far Cry 5, Far Cry: Absolution</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cults, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Manipulation, Mild Smut, Murder, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Torture, Unhealthy Relationships, extended canon timelines, took holly from her canon but not really followed it much tbh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 17:00:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,203</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22670296</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanadianSummer/pseuds/CanadianSummer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Holly, after the death of her husband, finds herself wandering toward Joseph's compound where she is taken in. John takes an interest in her, business like at first until personal lines get blurred, and she soon finds herself noting the evolution of Eden's Gate and how both them and John are not quite what they seem. </p>
<p>[pre-canon, mild Absolution canon]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Seed/Holly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Those Who Stray Close</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've been toying with writing something like this for a while. It won't be a light read but I've found Holly's supposed relationship with John severely underdeveloped and wanted to try my own take on it. So, here we are. </p>
<p>This is un-beta'd, there may be mistakes. It's also been a hot minute since I've done anything related to this game so forgive me if things seem a little rocky. </p>
<p>I'm uncertain on a update schedule, might depend on interest in the story itself. </p>
<p>TW: Abuse</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>She joined the compound with old bruises fading under the jacket she wore and her now ex-husband’s body freshly buried six feet under in some remote part of the Whitetail Mountains. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a secret she kept close to her chest, not really visiting home for too long after in order to secure a few things but ultimately walked her way back to where she had attended that surmen all those months ago. She could remember the same church back then, and headed that way after that night with the weight of murder on her shoulders. It was in that same compound that she met John, a stoic figure in the back of a surman, and eventually the man who had approached her when she had been sitting off later that night with a smoke. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Holly hadn’t been expecting him to approach someone like her. Not exactly quiet, but had kept to herself for the most part as of yet. Helped in the mess hall, talking to people who looked as lost as she did. She still felt it sometimes, but it was much better than what she had come from. Empty shell, begging and eventually waiting for something or someone to notice before she’d take her last punch. Eventually she had, just not in the way she had been expecting. (She still had the vague impression of bruises on her shoulders from where his fists had come up to beat her as she struggled to keep the pillow pressed over his face.) </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>John had let out a small exhale as he situated himself down on one of the old wooden chairs, kicking his legs out toward the small fire burning in one of the pits. It was strange to see him like that. Relaxed, indistinguishable in a way. Perhaps it was judgemental of her, feeling like the Seeds themselves were untouchable. It was hard to shake with Joseph, but John, Jacob, and their newly appointed sister, Faith, still seemed...far off to her still. She couldn’t help the somewhat hesitant expression that settled as he did so, watching him settle himself with cigarette hanging from her fingers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“May I?” he asked suddenly, gesturing a tattooed had toward the cigarette in question. He had turned to look in her face directly, the expression there expectant, controlled, but she couldn’t help but feel like he was playing at something. Something behind the gaze, Holly not too sure what to make of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still, after a look of mild confusion and hesitation, she ended up shrugging and passing it off to him. John took it from her fingers with a soft exhale (a laugh?) before taking a drag from it himself. He cleared his throat once he had exhaled the smoke, Holly returning her gaze back toward the fire as she could almost feel some hidden agenda lingering on the horizon. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was. John leaned his head back slightly, looking up at the smoke above the fire for a moment before he spoke up, his tone conversational. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re new, relatively,” he started, Holly glancing toward him as he took another drag from the cigarette, “Yet, it’s odd, because I’ve been hearing you’ve been rather fond of comforting those who just wandered in through the gates.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s hard not to notice,” she stated, “Makes me feel bad, I guess, but I didn’t mean to get in the way of anything if that’s what’s…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She trailed off as John waved his free hand, his gaze shifting away for a moment before he was glancing back toward her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s good, this...sense of community. That’s what we’re building here, something safe…” he replied, “Though, really, are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>free of sin? Do you believe you can be the one to give such advice?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was that some sort of reprimand? She had no idea anymore, but the way he looked at her felt like there was a right and wrong answer. There was an edge, sharp like a knife, hanging off his question. Holly wasn’t sure what she should say. Tell him the truth, lie to him. It was hard, but she found herself taking in a breath, the smell of campfire and cigarette smoke, before she let out a sigh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” she admitted, watching John’s impassive expression, “No, I don’t believe I am.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm.” That was the right answer. His expression had shifted, John reaching back out to give her back the cigarette, Holly’s stomach twisting slightly as she took it from between his fingers, “For the...flaws and sins that plague us all, there’s some good to what you’re doing. People are talking, and...perhaps you could be some help to the wayward souls under my reach.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In what ways?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>John shifted, sitting himself up a little straighter as he crossed a leg over his knee, resting an elbow against the arm rest as his hand came up to rub at his mouth in thought. Really, Holly was curious. She did want to do more, while also not really stopping what she was doing. What she was doing was hard to place, too. What she should be doing. John, for the distance she regarded him with, was extending a hand and she had to wonder what his intention was. (She always jumped to the negative, could even feel that now. Holly supposed she could blame her ex-husband for that.) </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hesitancy,” John explained, tilting his head, “Some...help in pulling in those who are close to the path but still would rather not walk it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think I have the power to do that?” she asked, raising an eyebrow as she took a drag from the cigarette now returned. John glanced back toward her, dead in the eyes. He wasn’t one to avoid eye contact, she noticed, outside of when he was thinking. Perhaps it was also too early and presumptuous to think she knew him that well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” John stated, giving her the touch of a smile. There was something a little unsettling about it, like it didn’t quite touch his eyes. “Maybe you’re in the mind to try.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Holly stared at him for a few moments, John doing the same. Uncertainly flooded her, Holly still rather lost despite having been found by them all finally. They had been pulled to the county, and she had been pulled to them despite not believing in much of anything for years. With the vacant gazes upon seeing her in town, and the blind eye of the local law as far as she knew, and the sympathetic visits from people who she couldn’t help but feel were obligated to do so when her husband was still prone to lifting his hand to her. Still prone to sucking in breath. She couldn’t help but flinch once John’s hand came down, a solid pat against her leg before he rose back up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Give it some thought,” he stated, tilting his head, “I don’t believe it was any mistake that you were brought here, Holly.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The confusion that sat heavily in her expression was hard to hold back, much as he had turned his back and started his walk back toward the church. She’d never told him her name, any of them.</span>
</p>
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